Israelis Split on Unilateral Attack Against Iran

Angus Reid Global Monitor
Dec. 03, 2006

Adults in Israel are divided on whether their country should pursue military action against Iran, according to a poll by Teleseker published in Maariv. 49 per cent of respondents would support an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities if all international diplomatic efforts fail, while 46 per cent disagree.

After being branded as part of an "axis of evil" by United States president George W. Bush in January 2002, Iran has contended that its nuclear program aims to produce energy, not weapons. In June 2005, former Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won Iran’s presidential election in a run-off over Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani with 61.6 per cent of all cast ballots.

In December 2005, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggested that Israel be removed from the Middle East and questioned the Holocaust, saying, "They have fabricated a legend under the name ‘Massacre of the Jews’ and they hold it higher than God himself, religion itself and the prophets themselves."

In May, European Union (EU) foreign policy representative Javier Solana presented a package of incentives designed by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S. to achieve negotiations with Iran on the reach of its nuclear program. The most contentious topic of the proposal calls for Iran to temporarily halt its uranium enrichment activities.

In July, the five permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council agreed on a resolution which calls for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment before the end of August, or face the threat of sanctions. Iran ignored the deadline. 75 per cent of respondents have no confidence in the U.S. or the EU to succeed in stopping Iran’s nuclear program by peaceful means.

On Nov. 13, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Daniel Ayalon said Washington would launch a strike "if left with no alternative" to resolve the dispute with Iran.

In 1981, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike in Iraq to destroy the Osiraq nuclear reactor. Yesterday, Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani dismissed concerns about possible Israeli action, declaring, "Although Israel has over 200 nuclear heads, we know it is not in a position to attack, because it drew lessons from the last war in Lebanon."

Polling Data

If it turns out that all the international diplomatic efforts fail, should Israel attack the Iranian nuclear facilities even alone and without international support?

Yes - 49%

No - 46%

Do you count on the United States and on the Europeans to succeed in stopping the nuclear program of Iran by peaceful means and via United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions?

Yes - 24%

No - 75%

Source: Teleseker / Maariv
Methodology: Interviews with 450 Israeli adults, conducted on Nov. 9, 2006. Margin of error is 4.3 per cent.